TSA to Allow Ads at Security Checkpoints

by Dave Luna on

I get chills down my spine whenever I hear the Transportation Security Administration is planning something. Usually, they take things away from travelers like bottled water, shoe insoles, or — I don’t know — dignity. Thankfully, I think we’ll be OK this time.

The TSA has plans to launch a year-long partnership with various companies to add advertising to the security checkpoint area in airports. Companies that join the program will purchase checkpoint tables, bins, and trays for the TSA in exchange for ad space inside the bins.

I suppose this scheme will work out for the government agency and the vendors, but where does that leave the everyday jet-setter? I don’t really mind it since the adverts will be out of the way, but I’d rather the money go to hiring security screeners who are a little less surly.

On a somewhat related note: here’s one person’s humorous idea of how advertising would look aboard an airplane.

(via AdJab)

Scorpions on a Plane!!

by Iva Skoch on

A man flying on United between Chicago and Burlington, Vermont, was stung twice by a scorpion that made it onto his plane.

TSA agents were able to wrestle the interloper to the deck and rescue the hapless passengers. They frisked the scorpion, wanded him, paraded him through a metal detector, then released him and wished him a pleasant connecting flight.

Shockingly, it’s not the first time. On Sunday, an American Airlines plane from Miami to Toronto was delayed at its destination because a scorpion got on board lacking a passport, and presumably riding without paying full fare.

Getting the Best Seat

by Neil Woodburn on

I’ve been having bad luck recently with getting a good seat while flying. A big part of the reason has been some last minute bookings.

In fact, on my last flight I had the worst seat on the plane. I’m an aisle guy and will do just about anything to get one of those seats. After finding out I had a middle seat for a seven hour flight, I inquired about an aisle seat. There was one left and I took it. It turned out to be the very last seat right next to the bathroom. I couldn’t recline all the way and when I got off the flight, I was told that my hair smelled of plane lavatory. Ugh.

I was therefore happy to come across an article in last Sunday’s LA Times that covered a number of techniques to help snag the very best real estate on a plane.

The most obvious bit of advice? Buy your ticket early and request a seat at that time.

Writer Chris Vedelago also suggests a couple of websites which seek to educate passengers about their seat options; www.SeatGuru.com, www.SeatExpert.com and www.LoveMySeat.com. LoveMySeat, for example, includes seat reviews, top 5 seat locations, and lists in-flight services.

The sad thing is that I can do everything right to land myself the very best seat on the airline, and at the end of the day, it’s still going to suck. I’m still going to be cramped and uncomfortable.

Snag a Good Plane Seat

by Erik Olsen on

Experienced travelers all have their fancy little tips on how to make the flying experience a little better. Even the smallest things can help improve your temporary quality of life, and knowing a couple of tried and true techniques will help make the long hours pass more easily.

One of my favorite tips, for example when someone is hogging the arm rest, is to tell them that a new study you read says people with excess elbow skin die earlier than others. The person will then unquestionably extend his arm from the armrest to determine his personal elbow skin excess quotient (ESEQ…it’s always nice to throw some technical sounding verbiage into the discussion). That’s when you smile, assure the person he will be fine and that such studies are usually dubious, and then slip your own elbow comfortably onto the arm rest. Ah, problem solved.

That one comes from me to you for free. Now here is one from the LA Times on how to choose the best seat on a plane. The suggestions here are rather simple and obvious (Number one: reserve a seat when you bu your ticket – ah, I wish I’d thought of that!), but keeping the whole of them in mind when you travel can probably put the odds in your advantage for getting a decent seat. Probably the article’s best advice to to direct you to one of the best seat resources online, a wonderful site called Seat Guru. The site tells you the best seats based on comfort room and view on all sorts of different planes and airlines and is a superb resource.

Appropriate Content for Airline Travel

by Dave Luna on

A year ago, I tried to catch up on the first season of Lost during a long flight. I’ll be honest; I felt awkward watching a scene that depicted the violent turbulence of an airplane crash when I knew such a sight could make others nervous. It wasn’t likely, but I didn’t want to be impolite.

I only bring this up because I’ve heard a number of second-hand reports of air travelers watching porn in view of others while in-flight. It has always sounded like an urban legend to me since that behavior is so absurd, but I figure it has to happen now and again.

Good reader, what do you consider as appropriate content for in-cabin viewing? (Do you think it’s OK to watch porn on a plane?) Have you ever run into anything you’ve found questionable from a fellow traveler?